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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 9 O C T O B E R 7 , 2 0 2 4 Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe with reservations at Motahkomikuk and Sipayik, and the Penobscot Nation. N O T E W O R T H Y N O R T H E R N & E A S T E R N Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor said its annual Champion the Cure Challenge has raised $560,000 to support patients in treatment and enhance research options at Northern Light Cancer Care in Brewer. UScellular announced that it has expanded its 5G mid-band network in Penobscot County with upgrades to four towers in Bangor; two towers in each of Orono, Brewer and Hermon; and a tower each in Lincoln, Old Town, Medway, Patten and Orrington. Haley Ward Inc., an employee-owned professional engineering, architectural, environmental and surveying consult- ing firm in Bangor, announced that it acquired EDC Inc., a civil engineering, surveying, planning and environmental consulting firm specializing in land de- velopment projects, with offices in Port St. Lucie and Melbourne, Fla. B I Z M O N E Y Acadia's free shuttle service, set to go electric, hits key milestone B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r T he Island Explorer — the free shuttle bus system that serves Acadia National Park and surrounding communi- ties — carried its 10 millionth passenger, a milestone in the service's 25-year history. The Island Explorer picked up passenger Beth Gearhart at a popular spot called Sand Beach. Informed that she was the 10 millionth passenger, she was greeted at the Bar Harbor Village Green — a central hub for a number of routes — by representatives of Friends of Acadia, Acadia National Park, Downeast Transportation, Maine Department of Transportation and L.L.Bean. Gearhart told the gathering that she rode the bus from her hotel to the Village Green, connecting onward to Sand Beach, where she hiked trails and a road called Ocean Drive. Hailing from Chambersburg, Pa., it was her first trip to Acadia. She was presented with gifts from L.L.Bean and Friends of Acadia. "The Island Explorer is key to helping visitors access hiking trails, carriage roads and other popular destinations in Acadia National Park without the worry of having to deal with parking congestion," said Acadia's superintendent, Kevin Schneider. Acadia National Park receives nearly 4 million visitors a year, so getting people to take a shuttle is a key step in reducing congestion. Going electric Earlier this year, the Maine Depart- ment of Transportation was awarded a $23.5 million grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Rebuilding America's Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE, program to fund the acqui- sition of 23 electric buses and charging infrastructure for the transit service, with 21 propane-fueled buses to be replaced with electric buses, and two electric buses to be purchased to expand the fleet. It's expected that getting all of the electric buses in place will take the better part of three years. Initiated in 1999, the Island Explorer carries passengers through Acadia and the surrounding gateway communities on Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula. The bus system's operator, Downeast Transportation, a nonprofit with 90 employees, is supported by partners that include the National Park Service, the U.S. and Maine departments of transportation, Friends of Acadia, munici- palities surrounding the park and businesses, including L.L.Bean. Contact us to learn about customized HVAC-R service plans for your facility. Building efficiency. It's what we do.

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